Jessica Leber is deputy managing editor for Oceans Deeply and is based in New York City. She has covered environment, science, tech and health topics for a decade and was previously a staff reporter and editor at Fast Company, MIT Technology Review, ClimateWire and Vocativ. She graduated with master’s degrees from Columbia University’s Earth and Environmental Science Journalism program in 2008 and had a prior career as an environmental geologist and scientist. She can be reached at jessica@newsdeeply.com or on Twitter at @jessleber https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/contributor/jessica-leber/rss en Climate Change Coral Reefs Mon, 20 Aug 2018 08:00:00 +0000 Jessica Leber https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2018/08/20/hot-with-chance-of-bleaching-sizing-up-an-unprecedented-coral-disaster https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2018/08/20/hot-with-chance-of-bleaching-sizing-up-an-unprecedented-coral-disaster NOAA’s Coral Reef Watch is in the midst of a global project to collect data and assess damage from marine heatwaves that devastated coral reefs worldwide. Scientists hope the data will improve future forecasts, helping ecologists take action before temperature spikes. Climate Change Coral Reefs Marine Protected Areas Mon, 30 Jul 2018 07:30:00 +0000 Jessica Leber https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2018/07/30/a-tiny-snails-overlooked-role-in-a-downward-death-spiral-for-corals https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2018/07/30/a-tiny-snails-overlooked-role-in-a-downward-death-spiral-for-corals New research shows that snails that prey on coral play a bigger role than realized in coral health. But the good news is that reducing fishing can help keep snail populations in check. Climate Change Coral Reefs Thu, 26 Jul 2018 10:00:00 +0000 Jessica Leber https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2018/07/26/inside-the-mission-to-find-50-reefs-that-could-survive-climate-change https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2018/07/26/inside-the-mission-to-find-50-reefs-that-could-survive-climate-change Last year, a bold initiative set out to locate coral reefs most likely to survive global warming. That turned out to be far easier said than done – but now scientists hope the results will rally attention to regions where there’s hope to save crucial marine ecosystems. Biodiversity Fisheries Mon, 23 Jul 2018 07:00:00 +0000 Jessica Leber https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/community/2018/07/23/what-its-like-to-personify-a-shark-on-twitter https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/community/2018/07/23/what-its-like-to-personify-a-shark-on-twitter The combination of tagging and social media has helped both scientists and the public engage with the ocean’s most feared predator in new ways. Jim Ware, who has tweeted as Mary Lee – the world’s most famous shark since Jaws – tells Oceans Deeply about his experience. Biodiversity Climate Change Coral Reefs Mon, 09 Jul 2018 10:34:00 +0000 Jessica Leber https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2018/07/09/island-of-coral-resilience-shows-hope-and-limits-for-reefs-future https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2018/07/09/island-of-coral-resilience-shows-hope-and-limits-for-reefs-future Bermuda is home to one of the highest-latitude coral reefs in the world, and scientists there are working to decode the keys to its health as climate change devastates reefs elsewhere. Blue Economy Fisheries Governance Wed, 20 Jun 2018 08:00:00 +0000 Jessica Leber https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/community/2018/06/20/deeply-talks-u-s-ocean-politics-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/community/2018/06/20/deeply-talks-u-s-ocean-politics-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly Following Capitol Hill Ocean Week, Oceans Deeply’s Jessica Leber and Kristen Sarri of the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation discuss the ocean and coastal priorities of the Trump administration and Congress. Fisheries Governance Marine Protected Areas Fri, 15 Jun 2018 03:00:00 +0000 Jessica Leber https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/community/2018/06/15/why-famed-ocean-advocate-sylvia-earle-is-looking-south https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/community/2018/06/15/why-famed-ocean-advocate-sylvia-earle-is-looking-south A coalition hopes to achieve a network of marine protected areas in the vast Southern Ocean by 2020. Earle argues that the health of the planet itself is at stake. Solutions Fri, 08 Jun 2018 07:20:00 +0000 Jessica Leber https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2018/06/08/what-can-you-do-to-protect-oceans-advocates-scientists-weigh-in https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2018/06/08/what-can-you-do-to-protect-oceans-advocates-scientists-weigh-in For World Oceans Day, we asked nonprofit leaders and scientists what they thought people could do to improve the health of oceans and coasts. Their advice ran the gamut. Biodiversity Coral Reefs Marine Protected Areas Fri, 01 Jun 2018 03:00:00 +0000 Jessica Leber https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/community/2018/06/01/exploring-a-new-zone-of-deep-sea-coral-life-hidden-in-plain-sight https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/community/2018/06/01/exploring-a-new-zone-of-deep-sea-coral-life-hidden-in-plain-sight A 2016 expedition near Bermuda found new species and biological communities thriving on the seabed relatively near shore. Alex Rogers, science director of the Nekton Oxford Deep Ocean Exploration Institute, says the discovery shows how little we know about marine life. Blue Economy Climate Change Solutions Tue, 15 May 2018 08:10:00 +0000 Jessica Leber https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2018/05/15/global-insurance-industry-steps-up-to-turn-ocean-risk-into-resilience https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2018/05/15/global-insurance-industry-steps-up-to-turn-ocean-risk-into-resilience At the Ocean Risk Summit in Bermuda, experts gathered to advance a new model for how insurance and reinsurance companies can leverage their products and balance sheets to restore marine ecosystems and slow climate change impacts. Climate Change Technology Tue, 01 May 2018 06:00:00 +0000 Jessica Leber https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/community/2018/05/01/high-stakes-oceanography-at-antarcticas-dangerously-thinning-glacier https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/community/2018/05/01/high-stakes-oceanography-at-antarcticas-dangerously-thinning-glacier The collapse of Thwaites Glacier would unleash catastrophic sea level rise. Erin Pettit, one of more than 100 scientists involved with a new international collaboration, discusses how better ocean data will help predict the glacier’s – and humanity’s – fate. Blue Economy Climate Change Solutions Thu, 19 Apr 2018 07:10:00 +0000 Jessica Leber https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/community/2018/04/19/why-this-insurer-wants-to-put-the-spotlight-on-growing-ocean-risk https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/community/2018/04/19/why-this-insurer-wants-to-put-the-spotlight-on-growing-ocean-risk Chip Cunliffe, director for sustainable development at XL Catlin, a global insurance and reinsurance group, explains why his company is hosting the first-ever Ocean Risk Summit in May and what it hopes to accomplish. Climate Change Governance Wed, 04 Apr 2018 08:50:00 +0000 Jessica Leber https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2018/04/04/tensions-high-as-nations-meet-to-set-climate-plan-for-global-shipping https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2018/04/04/tensions-high-as-nations-meet-to-set-climate-plan-for-global-shipping The International Maritime Organization is under pressure to finalize long-delayed targets to reduce carbon emissions from the growing shipping industry. But governments remain divided on how aggressive to be in fighting climate change. Fisheries Solutions Technology Wed, 28 Feb 2018 03:00:00 +0000 Jessica Leber https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2018/02/28/betting-on-blockchain-to-put-truly-sustainable-seafood-on-dinner-plates https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2018/02/28/betting-on-blockchain-to-put-truly-sustainable-seafood-on-dinner-plates We cut through the hype about the technology behind Bitcoin that is emerging as a powerful new tool to build tamper-proof transparency and trust into seafood supply chains. If it works, blockchain could help combat illegal fishing, worker abuse and seafood fraud. Biodiversity Climate Change Coral Reefs Thu, 15 Feb 2018 08:10:00 +0000 Jessica Leber https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2018/02/15/to-save-the-ocean-now-museum-aims-to-map-species-of-the-past https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2018/02/15/to-save-the-ocean-now-museum-aims-to-map-species-of-the-past As New York’s American Museum of Natural History digitizes its vast collections, it wants to use that historic data to help scientists understand how imperiled ecosystems are changing today. But coders at a recent hackathon discovered just how big a challenge that is. Blue Economy Governance Technology Mon, 05 Feb 2018 03:00:00 +0000 Jessica Leber https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2018/02/05/hacked-at-sea-concerns-grow-over-lax-cybersecurity-for-ships-ports https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2018/02/05/hacked-at-sea-concerns-grow-over-lax-cybersecurity-for-ships-ports As hacking risks grow and maritime operations become more digitally connected, experts in industry and government have long said no one is prepared. This summer was a wake-up call. Biodiversity Solutions Technology Wed, 24 Jan 2018 03:00:00 +0000 Jessica Leber https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2018/01/24/inside-the-blue-planet-ii-dive-into-the-deep-sea https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2018/01/24/inside-the-blue-planet-ii-dive-into-the-deep-sea The episode, which premiers in the United States on Saturday, uses cutting edge filming and science to allow viewers to view and connect with unfamiliar ecosystems and landscapes. Solutions Technology Thu, 18 Jan 2018 07:00:00 +0000 Jessica Leber https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2018/01/18/tear-down-that-paywall-the-movement-to-make-ocean-research-free-for-all https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2018/01/18/tear-down-that-paywall-the-movement-to-make-ocean-research-free-for-all As scientists race to save coral reefs and tackle other crucial marine issues, access to expensive scientific journals has become a roadblock to sharing knowledge, especially for researchers in developing countries. Blue Economy Governance Marine Protected Areas Tue, 16 Jan 2018 03:00:00 +0000 Jessica Leber https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2018/01/16/oceans-deeply-talks-outlook-2018 https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2018/01/16/oceans-deeply-talks-outlook-2018 Oceans Deeply talks with three experts in the fields of marine conservation, aquaculture and shipping about the big issues on their plate for the coming year. Biodiversity Blue Economy Technology Fri, 05 Jan 2018 07:00:00 +0000 Jessica Leber https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/community/2018/01/05/meet-the-man-launching-private-voyages-to-the-titanic-this-year https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/community/2018/01/05/meet-the-man-launching-private-voyages-to-the-titanic-this-year Even today, few people have ever traveled to the bottom of the ocean. Stockton Rush, chief executive of OceanGate, explains why he is designing a submersible that will take paying clients there on research missions.